The Three Stooges

The Three Stooges were a classic comedy team, whose best known incarnation consisted of Moe Howard, Curly Howard, and Larry Fine, and had their roots in vaudeville as "stooges" to Ted Healy. They accompanied Healy to Hollywood but soon broke out on their own, appearing in countless Columbia film shorts emphasizing slapstick, physical violence, and pie-throwing.

Moe and Larry were the only constants, with the third stooge played variously by Curly Howard (1932-1946), Shemp Howard (in vaudeville, one 1930 film appearance, and up until 1932 and replacing Curly from 1946 to 1955), Joe Besser (1956-1958), and finally Curly Joe DeRita (1959-1975, for later television and film appearances). The classic trio of Moe, Larry, and Curly was frequently referenced on Muppet Babies, usually through stock footage.

In "Hats, Hats, Hats," Kermit and Gonzo try to find a door that leads out of Gonzo's head. One door they encounter has footage from "Spook Louder" (1943), where Moe (voiced by Frank Welker) yells at them, "Say! What are you lookin' at?!"

The final episode of the series, "Eight Flags Over the Nursery," features clips of the Stooges as a part of the Mr. Weirdo's Universe ride. A clip of the three riding cars from Men in Black (1934) is used and Skeeter and Baby Gonzo zoom through a clip from "Spook Louder" (1943) of the Stooges being hit with pies.